Overseas Fellowship Division,
International Program Department,Japan Society for the
Promotion of Science (JSPS)

5-3-1 Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0083, JAPAN

StandardTEL+81-3-3263-3444E-mailpostdoc-standardjsps.go.jp

Short-termTEL+81-3-3263-3810E-mailpostdoc-shortjsps.go.jp

Pathway to University Positions in JapanTEL+81-3-3263-3444, 3810E-mailpostdoc-pathwayjsps.go.jp

Overview

The program provides PhD students or PhD researchers in the Europe and North America with opportunities to conduct collaborative research under the guidance of their hosts in universities and other Japanese institutions for a relatively short period of time. A person who has never engaged in research at universities etc. in Japan would be most preferable.

08/23/2017

History

The “JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship for US Researchers (Short-term)”was started in 1997 under the domestic recruitment (twice a year) system. It provides young PhD students or PhD researchers in the United States with opportunities to conduct collaborative research under the guidance of their hosts in universities and other Japanese institutions, as one of the programs implemented in the “JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship for Research in Japan” which had been carried out since 1988. It aims to support an overseas researcher’s progress in his/her research as well as to promote academic exchange between Japan and countries in Europe and the U.S.

The “JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship for US Researchers (Short-term)”was reviewed for further expansion. It made some changes such as, including Canada and other European countries as recruitment subject countries and extending the duration from 15 days up to 12 months. Also, it was renamed as the “JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship for North American and European Researchers (Short-Term)” and the domestic recruitment was started to be issued three times a year.

The number of domestic recruitment was increased to six times a year in 2004 and was reduced to four times a year in 2013. Now the program provides four application periods a year and offers the duration from one to twelve months.

Fields of Research

All fields of the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences.

Duration

1 to 12 months

Fellow Eligibility

(1) Be a citizen or permanent resident of an eligible country stipulated in the below 1*. Also eligible are persons who have earned a master’s or higher degree and continuously thereafter been engaged in research for a period of at least three years at a university or research institution in an eligible country. Such persons must be from a country that has diplomatic relations with Japan or from Taiwan or Palestine, have conducted research continuously for three or more years before the time their application was submitted, and must possess an excellent research record.*Eligible countries are the US, Canada, European Union countries , Switzerland, Norway and Russia.

(2) Candidates must have obtained their doctoral degree at a university outside Japan within six years of the date the fellowship goes into effect , or must be currently enrolled in a doctoral course at a university outside Japan, and scheduled to receive a Ph.D. within two years from the time that their research starts in Japan.

Note 1: Those who have previously been awarded a fellowship under the JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship Program for Research in Japan ([Standard] , [Short-term] and [Pathway to University positions in japan]) are not eligible. This Short-term Fellowship is only awarded once per researcher.

Note 2: Those who have resident cards with mailing addresses in Japan during the period of call for application set by JSPS are not eligible.

Note 3: A Japanese citizen who is also a permanent resident of the country stipulated in the above 1*is not eligible.

Note 4: A person who was selected as a fellow needs to submit an original copy of the doctor's degree certificate or a copy of the degree (if the fellow has not obtained the degree, the original copy of prospect certificate for the doctoral degree is necessary) by the commencement date (Not required when submitting the application).

Host Eligibility

The applicant (host researcher) must, in principle, be a researcher who is employed full-time at a university or research institution as specified in Article 2* of the Procedure for the Handling of Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (Kakenhi), issued by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).
However, there are cases when a researcher not employed in a full time position may be eligible. Such persons must be eligible to apply for a KAKENHI grant–in-aid and his/her affiliated institution must judge them able to implement the project and to provide an appropriate research environment (e.g., laboratory, equipment, personnel) for it.
Each host researcher can submit up to three applications. If more than one overseas researchers apply as candidates for the fellowship, priorities should be given to them.*Eligible host institutions specified under the above MEXT Procedure are as follows:
1) Universities and inter-university research institutes
2) MEXT-affiliated institutions engaged in research
3) Colleges of technology
4) Institutions designated by the Minister of MEXT

Term of Award

(1) Airfare
A round-trip air ticket (based on JSPS’s regulations. See the page E18 in the “Program Guidelines ver 1.0”.)

(2) Maintenance Allowance
(a) For PhD holders: ¥362,000 per month
(b) For non-PhD holders at the time research starts in Japan: ¥200,000 per month

(3) Miscellaneous
A settling-in allowance of ¥200,000 (only applicable for Fellows with 3 or more months of tenure), Overseas travel insurance, etc.

[Note] For the fellow who has been living in Japan (and has a mailing address) before the fellowship starting date, the “traveling expense” of outbound flight and a “ settle-in allowance ” will not be paid.
A research support allowance is available to cover cooperative research-related expenses. Application is made by the host researcher through his/her institution.